Midnight at the Magnolia | Blogmas Day 11

 Hey Guys x

Happy Blogmas day 11!

Like a few of the other films that I'm reviewing, I wasn't sure if this was a Christmas film before I started watching it (and to be honest, I'm still unsure). But while watching, I found that the small link to Christmas has led people to treat it as a Christmas film, so I can definitely review it in Blogmas.

Maggie (Natalie Hall) and Jack (Evan Williams) are best friends who host a radio show. However, when their respective partners break up with them right before an important event, the pair decide to pretend, to their listeners and their families, that they are a couple, in a bid to get their show syndicated. But will they catch real feelings along the way?

I still don't really know what to make of this film. The premise isn't generic in terms of Christmas movies, but it is something that's been done a lot. However, I found that the basic premise made it sound a lot more cliché than it is.

Maggie and Jack are good characters, and there is a great friendship chemistry between them. It really feels like they've known each other for years. Having said this, while there was friendship chemistry, there didn't seem to be a lot of romantic chemistry between them. They never seemed like they would make a good couple.

We are drip-fed information about their past throughout the film to try and convince us that they were always in love and were meant to be together all along, but that never really worked for me. I guess the problem is that I never believed they were in love.

However, it hits its downfall really quickly. When the characters make this decision, it's hard to get on board with their plan because they are clearly going to be cause of their own problems. Problems that the audience can see coming a mile off.        

The main problem with this film, for me, is that these characters aren't the most interesting. And that would be fine if the plot made them interesting, but it doesn't. The story isn't boring, as such, but I found it hard to stay interested in this couple for the entire film.

And going back to my very first paragraph, this flirts with being a Christmas film, but never actually commits. This is mainly because the film begins on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) and goes until New Years. There are barely mentions of Christmas beyond 'I had a great Christmas yesterday'. Snow and fairy lights isn't enough to make a movie a Christmas movie.

Overall, if you're interested in the basic premise, I'd say give this a go. But if you're looking for something to get you in the Christmas spirit, give this one a miss.

Originality - 6/10

Christmas Spirit - 2/10

Christmas Music - 1/10

It's 14 days until Christmas!

Come back tomorrow for Blogmas day 12!

Lou